Blazes left to the whims of the inexperienced usually leave somebody at least with scars you know. Even the most renowned pyromancers of the era's have crisped their own skin in the search of the concept known to the casters of this world as 'One with magic'... A state of perfection that both the mortals and those blessed with reserves will spend their entire life spans trying to attain, Turning your magic not just the shade of your preference but to shape and bend it to your will...Like turning magic into searing coals to strike or using a school of magic like stasis but have it look and feel to those weaker than you like hell's lowest volcano. Though every caster on this journey explains it differently, some say it's like tuning an instrument, others say it's like stoking a flame but one thing they all have in common is the will, time and dedication from all those that even attempted this or really any path in life. Still they are just crumbling pieces with their time spans even after they have attained great power on the board so at least we get to watch their greatest exploits as often as we want in here. Hm? Yes yes the group of false heroes, i know. I swear sometimes even having guests can be a bother...anyway they had began the trial and had all stepped into the ring for some sill show of vanity and childishness from the supposed alphas of this pack that had so far shown the most versatility but now scrap like the feral beasts they are..Let us see how it unfolds.
.This serene haven of nature, capital of the wood elves on this continent, Nomadir, The city residing close to the sky, The natural fortress, all names given to this place for it's safe and peaceful feel, all expect today as we hear the sounds of crashing metal, wood twisting and splintering and the roars of war sounding like a battlefield in the central plaza, its epicentre we see Otto standing tall with a two handed Warhammer to most normal races but to him it only filled one hand. Holding a serrated sword in the other but using the back of his hand to swat away the oncoming natives, squeezing his fist around the hard grip of the blade, sounding like worn leather getting a dagger dragged across, putting a shine to it now thinking if a challenge was even in this crowd other than Willabaar, he sighed before speaking to himself under his breath,
''Damm...Why did I say Bee could have the only challenge here?''
The goliath said browsing the contenders, nothing to a man like himself having selected a juvenile goliath, marching over and with one firm hit from his Warhammer, stole the breath from the young ones lungs, sending him flying into the tree wall at the other end of the arena making the rest of both the gold and silver team stop in fear.
Otto proceeded to yawn from boredom before feeling a striking pain through his knee and looking down to see a familiar sight, Wilt with his own blade straight through his right knee just like the first night they had meet, he smirked before he spoke,
''Sorry Wilt but Bee is with me this time, no one is here to save y-''
Wilt looked up letting go off the blade and jumping back hands at his bag, The goliath knew he had planned some type of concoction to use on him but he did not think he had the ingredients to do anything serious, lifting his pierced leg and swinging down with the same power he had to the young goliath, believing it was over for the goblin before his foot was stopped, blood now spitting into the air from its sole as the young Goblin ran up the back of his leg, now showing the white tipped dagger of the Azamaar and only pulling it out at the hip, The goliath sank and turned to the goblin still in battle stance,
''Huh..Ya grabbed birdie's butter knife did ya? Gotta say I thought ya might be more spineless than tha-''
The dagger went careening past his face, cutting his check as Wilt crochet to him and looked him in the eyes,
''I adventured and fought with some of the best. Go to sleep big boy.''
Smacking him on the head, releasing a powder that after one sniff sent the goliath to a dreamless sleep.
Moving away to avoid his powdery poison smirking, picking up and then flicking his stolen dagger,
''The bird may be useless most of the time but he has a good blade for prepping ingredients so best not to look down on me. Remember I was walking on the dunes on the dead land before ya were walking youngling.''
The goblin said looking around for a sneak attack but getting none, seeing these contestants for the most part have not seen real combat. Most were in shock as if he just slayed a dragon, designing to play this up he took so minor amount of blast power from his satchel before slamming it to the ground, making a dash away through its smoke, getting between some the naïve green fighters pattering the air with trace amounts of powder making the silver team lose some of their shine. Orelia saw this in the distance looking at her friend before but she knew that she was no better, her eyes seeped to the ground before the twisting voices and black clouds blanking the world around her returned, this time the shadows themselves took the shape of a tall humanoid. An attractive build but a face still shaded, clutching her hand and whispering something into her pointed ears that sent the elf into a rage, gritting her teeth uttering a angry incantation,
''Rage of my kin! wipe clean this place so I can reclaim self peace and rid this city's inhabitants of the filth that follys their minds! Vocaburis I beseech you! LEND ME YOUR POWER!''
As the words were spoke a aura of pure grey started to emanate around her only to switch into a brilliant white that confused even the young girl, Reev and Treevoar looked on confused as the taller spoke,
''What's this then? Never seen someone switch pantheons mid spell! Hahaha!''
Laughter only broken by the Azamaar now standing and not only head tilted like the barn owl he was known for but also his eyes at the same size, explaining to the two elders,
''The path has been chosen by powers beyond are judgment and reckoning, a concordance has been struck, one that may bread a new way of being for us all, that or something that defies all logic I've ever known so let us watch, what thyn law is?''
Seemingly using a gleaming yet crooked smile letting out little puffs of air that sounded like the fallen ones natural laugh, while the two Elves look on in confusion before Reev turned to the taller,
''I understand...Continue watching.''
Treevoar seemed still confused but paid it no heed. Looking back at the war zone seeing all the elves scatter through the dark backdrop of the giant vines making the wall all looking like slightly brighter spots on the night's beauty. Orelia was free of her thoughts but noticed only she stood, Wilt's dagger embedded in the bark holding him with the two feral creatures up thirty feet still enjoying their fun, she looked back to notice Wilt was gone. Spiralling on spot now looking behind only seeing a blur of green pass back to the dagger, she stopped on point and lifted her hand, releasing her reserves but only to feel something small heat up in the white before exploding in a murky grey smoke, choking the young girl and making it to painful to speak or open her eyes as quickly. She was about to step back but a cut on her heel sent pains through her leg as she went toppling down to back, falling back seeing a small shadow standing over her, closing her eyes and opening them to see golden flakes in the air moving slow like the first snow falls of the year before drifting back to a comatose sleep.
Wilt clapped his hands clean of powder like a champion, smug in look and feeling, turning his gaze up at the two blurs moving above him and pondering his next move, looking through his ingredients thinking how they would help his team mate but then he stopped and thought to himself,
''Oh gods...I actually care about helping that smug asshole royal?...What has happened to me Aarc huh?...''
Seeing the last remaining contestant the only one was Bee, bashing wildly as a bonfire, every step a quake, no precision but all power,
''Must be drunk or must be having one of those moments that the demon get some times…'Red Mist Rage'...never seen it before but some of my ingredients should be able to stop him long enough for Willabaar to finish this right?'' But how do I get in between this storm? They are moving at speeds I can barely keep up with, even just the blurs of their movements are scary...Okay just need to find the right spot!''
Wilt surveyed the area all left to his devices and smiled before throwing his bags across the floor and spinning his fingers revealing a small glow of ambient green as the bark grew over them, now looking up dagger in hand he knew he would only have one shoot to make this crazy plan succeed, it all depended on the half-mixes ability to keep him preoccupied but from what he was seeing that would not be a problem now.
Wilt's eyes widened seeing the collision of black and red erupt like a volcano upwards before splitting at the highest point, streaming their auras like a comet landing on a large branch parallel to each other once more. Bee still burning hot, his skin now covered in magical veins shining a white hot releasing steam from them, eyes now a pure white and his horns grown to a full foot each, he was foaming at the mouth and seemed to only see the half-mix in front of him before letting out a roar of a demon lord calling his lesser to his side, sending a reverb and shockwave through the crown but only making Willabaar's robes flutter with the wind. The demon looked back to where he stood to see nothing except a speck of black at the bottom of his vision, Willabaar slid between the small man's legs, kicking at both knees side on making the demons collapse in on himself. As he hit his knees, he turned to swing a fist connecting with the body of Willabaar, still smiling spewing blood onto the demons face that blinded him, he could not see what the half-mix was planning but he felt it for sure,
his fist felt something spin and jump before feeling the pain of a blade piercing his leg, a hard object smacked the demon flying at pace into the tree, not only stopping but going completely through and stopping half way through the tree behind.
Bee jumps up releasing steam and splinters around the area, throwing his hammer toward his slippery opponent. Willabaar, seeing the approaching eruption of death closing in, hopping sideways narrowly avoiding the large hammer before it slammed into the ground, raising some of the interlace floor tiles flying up with debris the colours of nature's green and shadow's black as the demon landed, continuing his charged towards the prey eyes as white as searing hot coals. Grabbing a large section of wood, rending it upwards, swinging wildly and aiming to hit Willabaar, his impromptu weapon moved fast, retching it down and slitting Willabaar's visage in half, his eyes had regained their fiery shape before noticing the opponent in front of him turn to black, spreading the flares his copies were known for, pushing him back still standing on his feet, arms captured with the jet embers dancing on him, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes and decided their how he would stand till the end, his rage would burn the wood away till the half-mix would have nowhere to hide anymore, lifting his arms and lighting them with his own crimson red fires now wrapping and hugging the black embers and springing into a beautiful wisp no residing where his fist once stood, he proclaimed,
''Fires are all the same...They burn those not worthy of wielding their searing hot brilliance''
The dwarf sounded much like the fallen with such eloquence in his incantation,
''But I, One born from hell fire itself, raised suckling the teat of the abyss, Will burn that what can turn to ashes, I will rid this place clean and let the fire wash away all!''
Clasping both fist together above his head, both Warhammers now side by side, flares still dancing around the two heads of the weapon before he brought them down like the sound of lightning striking the ground in the biggest storm of the year, Brilliant flares started spreading around the arena, turning the tanned wood to a black charcoal almost instantaneously at the touch, the landscape now looked more like the demons natural home, a stretch of brimstone filled fires with smokes of all colours spreading and rising up and closing in on the dwarf who seemed to smile at what he saw, a scorched Lunar Elf lays with bark receding from his skin seemingly used to protect himself during the blaze, looking down he felt something blur his vision, his mouth became dry and eyes refused to stay open without stinging violently.
Wilt using a wet sash around his mouth moves towards the leaders of the realm, chuckling at the demonic entities arrogance, getting to a small stump he grabbed a branch resembling a staff to most his size before turning to the raging demon and shouting clear,
''Oi Bumble Bee!! This is going to be a lot easier than I thought at the start! Forget just your face I doubt you'll be able to walk after this!''
Mimicking the sound and inflection of Willabaar he thought even to rage filled idiot like this that it would not work but to his surprise he looked up at the demon, eyes still closed but looking in the direction he was in and charging, breaking the tiles he stepped on sending them up with embered edges making his way towards Wilt, he took a deep breath before arching his body to the left and placing the same hand down planting it and pivoting ready as he pulls the white tipped dagger out and spins it in his free hand behind his back then pulling it into sight, The demon sees the dagger and prepares to grab at it he vaults forward hands and then head first towards only to feel a foot connect cleanly with his chin, the dagger flew over his head as he went straight threw the middle of Reev and Treevoar as they look and place their hands up in unison before the taller spoke,
''That be out of bounds ya know demon, Looks like Wilt be the winn-''
Reev raised his wrinkled hand before pointing it to just below the goblins feet showing Willabaar appear from his shadow, stretching himself back into view now grabbing the goblin,
''We did it Wilt! Well I did save you by dragging you down with me when Bee broke the tiles''
The goblin huffed at this idea before responding,
''Yeah yeah you had to use ya copies again but I did the work remember? Otto? Orelia? Now Bee as well? seems like I am the proper leader here. I think your coming up a bit short ya royal pain in the ass.''
Smirk now stretching far as it can showing the broken and crooked yellow fangs of Wilt before Reev spoke aloud,
''Not over...Who win...Fight''
Wilt felt confusion but only for a moment as he felt something constrict around his neck and place him to the ground getting ever tighter, looking up seeing Willabaar's leg resembling a large snake coiling around it's prey's neck before snapping it and feeding, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the half-mix looked in curiosity before preparing to chop the back of the goblins neck with the side of his hand only to hear Wilt let out a high pitched sneeze sounding like a prepubescent girls, Willabaar instantly erupting in laughter, getting ever tighter around his neck with his muscles contracting from laughter only to slowly start fading to a slur before releasing the goblin and starting to snore peacefully.
Wilt dragged himself up with a grunt, moving past the smoke and dust created from the skirmish looking back to his fallen comrades huffing out,
''You may be strong but none of you have any real type of wisdom. Make sure next time you remember your royal git not to cover yourself in powder before going into the kill shot. I thought you people were suspected to be witty non barbarians...Willabaar or was it lord Price?.''
The goblin said giggling at the man brought low only a few days after the monster appeared that made feel no fear, Reev and Treevoar moved towards the goblin before the smaller of the two lifted his arm and screamed the loudest and most coherent we had heard from him,
''Wilt Grove, Winner of the first trial! As the overall winner you may choose two from your team to join you in the next round!''
He looked over to the now sleeping dwarf before continuing,
''The dwarf was the last of the Silver teams standing so he will gain the same right, You two will have till Moon's first light to decide who they will be, after that Me and Treevoar will choose two each and the last two will decided by the crowds so make sure to vote in the Forest's Crown before the moon rises! The next trial will take place in the dusk of tomorrow so let us drink till that moment arrives!!''
The crowd erupted at this and dispersed moving in all direction seemingly bringing life back to the rest of the city, Wilt grabbed Bee by the jurking and dragged him to the bar where his group had all been taken after their defeats with Kyu walking next to him, now helping him move the demon's body in with the rest of them.
Away from the cinder and ash of the arena, Kyuuwin went around his companions healing them, bringing them back to consciousness enough to feed, dress their wounds and relax in the hospitality given for the entertainment just displayed for everyone to see. Giving the heroes respite and reprieve to gather themselves for the next trial. All waking through the day and seeing what the festival held for them when their wounds healed but not straying for from the bar itself to make sure on the others who slept until late in the day, all the citizens that watched the mounings event lined up by the throne, throwing their results into the same wicker basket that the Dyre was pulled from in the start, while they are counted, the contestants we have followed all stay quiet realising that this team event might even be a solo event, all knowing they will make it through in their own heads all they could do was wait and see the results that were to come later in their tales.
The second half of the first trial has concluded with are heroes now resting and rebuilding their reserves ready for the next stage of the ever growing festivities. The flames have been tamed and left to smoulder ready to be the nourishment for the next cycle of organic entities blooming from the ashes in spots they were planted in, by the ones believing this to be the most opportunistic spot. Just like a clock being reset or a child born, all things have their time and if you don't prepare, all will lead to nort. For that is the nature of all things but these feral dogs now in their pack. What gives them the nourishment for their goals is definitely worth pondering I'd say as the day stretches to the latter stages I think we will see more of not just their power, but what they will bring to the board to the onlooking players still sitting higher on the mountain than a group who themselves say there name is the False Heroes...Oh I bet that stings a little does it not?